By Jethro Ibileke
The Edo State Deputy Governor, Comrade Philip Shaibu, on Wednesday accused the federal government of impeding development efforts of state governments, citing the
frustrations being experienced by the state in its efforts to provide reliable electricity supply for the people.
Shaibu who state this at the annual breakfast meeting with journalists in the state, urged the people to ensure that they vote for only people who can fix the country come 2023.
He said federal government policies have been frustrating efforts of the state government to provide regular power supply to the people of Edo.
According to him, “We need to have a federal government that is functional and if it is functional, we will have states that are functional. Some states are ready to work but there are certain forces that are not making them to work.
“The situation in the country is a major concern for all of us. We are trying here but what we are doing here is being frustrated by certain policies that are not supposed to be.
“For instance, we have the Ossiomo power plant, but if you observe, sometimes it will not work, and all is the same problem from Abuja.
“They refused to make the light work, then we decided on our own light but it has been from one problem of gas to the other, yet we have gas in abundance, Edo State is the home of gas, yet we cannot touch the gas, we must go through Abuja to touch what we have.
“We entered into an MoU with Ossiomo power plant and the light came, now we are having issues with gas that is why we all pray to have a federal government that is functional and if it is functional, you will see states that cannot work will be obvious and states that can work, you will see them shining nit for states that are ready to work but certain forces are not making them to work. So we need to use our PVC to vote for people that will fix Nigeria,” he said.
Speaking further on next year’s general elections, the Deputy Governor urged Nigerians to make a good use of their respective permanent voter’s cards (PVCs) to elect credible leaders who will fix the country.
“Please, pray for your PVC. I have an altar, I am a member of the sacred heart of Jesus. when I pray, I pray that the person my PVC votes for wins.
“The result of the election must be that Nigeria must be fixed by the person that I am voting for. This time, even when you are influenced to vote, pray for the person you are voting for to win to change our country and all of us will be better for it.
“That prayer is very important because we cannot afford to have another four years of what we are having now. The country will not stay together if we don’t change the tide now. And to change the tide, both federal and states must be able to work in synergy to the extent that things will work for the generality of the public.
“It is nolonger the case that this person is closer to me than the other. It is now about our country. If you don’t fix the Centre, the states won’t work,” Shaibu said.
Also speaking at the event, the Secretary to State Government (SSG), Osarodion Ogie, urged journalists in the state to remain professional and be fair to all in in the discharge of their responsibilities.
Ogie urged journalists to remain professional in their work as they play a vital role in moulding the society.
In his remark, the State Commissioner for Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, reassured the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) that there is no plan by the state government to take over the Union’s secretariat and its land and called for continued collaboration with the state government.
